Issues and Challenges in Conservation of Living Monastic Heritage in the Trans-Himalayan Region of Ladakh, India Authors: Satish C

Article: Issues and challenges in conservation of living monastic heritage in the trans-Himalayan region of Ladakh, India Authors: Satish C. Pandey, Joyoti Roy, and Noor Jahan Source: Objects Specialty Group Postprints, Volume Twenty-Three, 2016 Pages: 74-92 Editors: Emily Hamilton and Kari Dodson, with Laura Lipcsei, Christine Storti, and Leslie Friedman, Program Chairs ISSN (print version) 2169-379X ISSN (online version) 2169-1290 © 2018 by The American Institute for Conservation of Historic & Artistic Works 727 15th Street NW, Suite 500, Washington, DC 20005 (202) 452-9545 www.conservation-us.org Objects Specialty Group Postprints is published annually by the Objects Specialty Group (OSG) of the American Institute for Conservation of Historic & Artistic Works (AIC). It is a conference proceedings volume consisting of papers presented in the OSG sessions at AIC Annual Meetings. Under a licensing agreement, individual authors retain copyright to their work and extend publications rights to the American Institute for Conservation. This article is published in the Objects Specialty Group Postprints, Volume Twenty- Three, 2016. It has been edited for clarity and content. The article was peer-reviewed by content area specialists and was revised based on this anonymous review. Responsibility for the methods and materials described herein, however, rests solely with the author(s), whose article should not be considered an official statement of the OSG or the AIC. ISSUES AND CHALLENGES IN CONSERVATION OF LIVING MONASTIC HERITAGE IN THE TRANS-HIMALAYAN REGION OF LADAKH, INDIA SATISH C. PANDEY, JOYOTI ROY, AND NOOR JAHAN Ladakh’s rich cultural identity is highly dependent on its institution of Buddhist monasteries known as gompas. These monasteries are religious and spiritual centers of Buddhism and are repositories of a rich art and cultural heritage. Having been at the crossroad of trans-Asian trade for centuries, Ladakh’s cultural heritage and indigenous traditions reflect upon the influence from the cross-cultural exchanges from ancient Buddhist regions of Central Asia and Tibet. The exquisite wall paintings, thangka paintings (religious scroll paintings), manuscripts, and other ritual objects manifest Ladakh’s unique cultural heritage. The main stakeholders of this heritage, the monastic and village communities, have limited awareness about the inherent historic, cultural, and civilizational value and importance of their own cultural heritage. This ignorance has led to lack of proper maintenance and care. Rampant unplanned modernization and civic development to promulgate tourism pose serious threats to cultural heritage. In several monasteries and other heritage monuments, traditional architecture has been destroyed and rebuilt or added using modern materials without considering their suitability and consequences in the local climate. Climate change has added to the complexities, leading to heavy rains and snowfall that have caused irreparable damage. In the absence of a consolidated heritage policy and regulations, particularly for living cultural heritage in the region, a large number of self- professed heritage conservation groups are carrying out conservation of monastic heritage. While some conservation attempts have been made responsibly, others have created an environment of mistrust and discomfort with the communities. This article aims to highlight some of the major issues and challenges in preservation of monastic heritage in Ladakh and discusses the need for ensuring sustainability in conservation interventions to save the invaluable cultural heritage in the region. KEYWORDS: Monastic heritage, Living cultural heritage, Heritage conservation, Heritage Values and significance, Climate change, Neglect and vandalism 1. LADAKH: GEOGRAPHICAL AND HISTORICAL BACKGROUND Ladakh is a high-altitude region in the states of Jammu and Kashmir. It is bound by the Karakoram mountain range in the north and the Himalayas in the south and is one of the most sparsely populated regions in India. The entire region is a cold desert and covers an area of 86,904 square kilometers with barren landscapes, limited natural resources, and settlements along the main river Indus and its tributaries (fig. 1), yet it has been home to a thriving culture for more than a thousand years. Being located on a highly important historic trade route linking Central Asia, China, Tibet, and India, the cultures and traditions in Ladakh show an amalgamation of different cultures from ancient to medieval periods (fig. 2). It is difficult to specify the exact date of arrival of Buddhism in Ladakh, but it is presumed to have come into contact with Tibet in the 7th century (Luczanits 2005). Kaul (1998) points that Buddhism and Hinduism coexisted in the region from the 8th century with cultural influences from Persia and western central Asia. However, with the establishment of Muslim rule in Kashmir in the 14th century, Ladakh turned to Tibet for all the cultural and religious purposes, which led to greater influence of Tibetan culture on that of Ladakh. This high-altitude region remained closed to the world until the mid-1970s, when the first roads were opened via Srinagar (in Jammu and Kashmir) and Manali (in Himachal Pradesh) and many travelers, both Indian and foreign, explored the region and gradually exposed the mystical landscape and sociocultural practices of the region. There are several travelogue accounts of these journeys and what they revealed. After the 1980s Ladakh became an important location for adventure tourism owing to its natural landscape, wild rivers, and picturesque mountains, gradually making tourism one of the mainstays of earning in the urban centers. Nevertheless, some areas are still dependent on oasis 74 AIC Objects Specialty Group Postprints, Vol. 23, 2016 75 Fig. 1. Map showing geographical location of Ladakh (Courtesy of Joyoti Roy) Fig. 2. A typical village with a monastery in the middle and traditional mud houses (Courtesy of Joyoti Roy) Pandey et al. AIC Objects Specialty Group Postprints, Vol. 23, 2016 76 cultivation and animal rearing. Ladakh inherently has a treacherous climate most of the year in which indigenous communities strive to sustain themselves with minimal resources. The geographical isolation of the region allowed it to preserve its culture. Historic trade not only developed the area’s economy but also facilitated cultural and social interactions and influences. Since India’s independence, Ladakh is politically a semi-autonomous region comprising of two districts—Leh and Kargil. Leh is the capital city of Ladakh and the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), and the State Government of Jammu and Kashmir are responsible for its administration and governance. 2. MONASTIC HERITAGE OF LADAKH Ladakh’s cultural heritage is phenomenal and incredibly diverse. The constant contact with the cultures of its neighboring regions for centuries has resulted in a high degree of influence on the indigenous cultures and traditions. There is a visible Tibetan contribution, which has manifested in its monasteries, monuments, art forms, oral cultural traditions, folklore, festivals, and language. The earliest Buddhist heritage of Ladakh comprises of petroglyphs, stūpas, ancient rock carvings, and inscriptions that are found scattered throughout the region. Monastic establishments, fortresses, thangka paintings, manuscripts, ritual objects, and decorative elements in architecture, particularly wall paintings and wood carvings, are all exemplars of the rich artistic heritage of the region and markers of a vibrant history. Buddhist monastic establishments of all sizes are spread across the region. Smaller monasteries are administratively set up under larger head monasteries of Buddhist sects1. Each sect has a religious leader and a set of teachings and practices that are propagated through monastic establishments. In ancient times the strategic positioning of monasteries was crucial, often much away from civilization, in the form of hermitages. The monasteries are either located on the slope of hills/mountains or in some cases on the flat ground in the middle of the village. Often monasteries are accompanied by other minor religious structures such as village protective shrines (lhatos), votive rock installations (Mani walls2) and chörtens (stūpas meant for storing reliquary remains or as votive structures). Most monasteries are imposing structures and are a testament to the architectural knowledge and competencies of the historic civilizations. They often expand organically as the needs and requirements of the establishment grow. These monasteries contain temple chambers and residential buildings where Buddhist monks live, study and practice their religion (fig. 3). The Buddhist temples within monastic establishments are dedicated to specific Buddhist deities and are profusely painted on their interiors with schematic wall paintings. Each temple also has images of deities sculpted in clay and painted, which is a traditional art form of Ladakh (fig. 4). Buddhist monasteries are the main repositories of heritage antiquities and artifacts and are testimony to the powerful cultural links of the past. Most of these monasteries are profusely decorated with wall paintings on their interiors and house a significant number of thangka paintings, manuscripts and documents, masks, exquisite costumes and textiles, wooden articles, and leather objects. (figs. 5-7). Most of the artifacts are usually part of daily monastic rituals and

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